Grace Baptist Church

press toward the mark

I.  THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21; Mt. 5:18; Jn. 16:12-13

 

II.  THE GODHEAD

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.  Deut. 6:4; II Cor. 13:14

 

III.  THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

A.  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man.  Jn. 1:1-2, 14; Lk. 1:35

B.  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead.  Rom. 3:24-25; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:3-5

C.  We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.  Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24, 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I Jn. 2:1-2

 

IV.  THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

A.  We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, in-dwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption.  Jn. 16:8-11; II Cor. 3:6; I Cor. 12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14

B.  We believe that he is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.  Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:20,27; Eph. 5:18

 

V.  THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.  Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3,12

 

VI.  SALVATION

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.  Eph 2:8-10; Jn 1:12, Eph 1:7; I Pet 1:18, 19

 

VII. THE ETERNAL SECURITY AND ASSURANCE OF BELIEVERS    

A.  We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.  Jn 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 8:38, 39; I Cor 1:4-8; I Pet 1:5

B.  We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Titus 2:11-15

 

VIII.  THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and, that all claims to the eradication of the bid nature in this life are unscriptural.  Rom 6:13, 8:12-13; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:10; I Pet 1:14-16; I Jn 3:5-9

 

IX.  SEPARATION

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon the Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God.  II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom 12:1-2, 14:13; I Jn 2:15-17; II Jn 9-11; II Cor 6:14-7:1

 

X.  MISSIONS

We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. Mk 6:15; Acts 1:8, II Cor 5:19-20  

 

XI.  THE MINISTRY AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

A.  We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today.  Eph 4:7-12; I Cor 12:4-11

B.  We believe that God does hear and answer prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. Jn 15:7; I Jn 5:14-15

 

XII.  THE CHURCH

A.  We believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age.  Eph 1:22, 23; 5:25-27; I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 11:2

B.  We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.  Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28:32; I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11

 

XIII.  DISPENSATIONALISM

We believe in the dispensational view of the Bible interpretation but reject he extreme teaching known as “Hyper Dispensationalism,” such as, that teaching which opposes either the Lord’s table or water baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age.  Mt 28:19, 20, Acts 2:41, 42, 18:8, I Cor 11:23-26

 

XIV.  THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN

We believe that Satan is Person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6, 7; Is 14:12-27, Mt 4:2-11, 25:41; Rev 20:10

 

XV.  THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST

We believe in that “Blessed Hope” the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; an in His subsequent return to earth, with His saint, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. I Thes 1:10, 5:19; Rev 3:10

 

XVI.  THE ETERNAL STATE

A.  We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to-eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.  Mt 25:46; Jn 5:28, 29, 11:25, 26 I Thes 1:10, 5:9, Rev 3:10

B.  We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.  Lk 23:43; Rev 20:4-6; II Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23, 3:21; I Thes 4:16,17

C.  We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.  Lk 16:19-26; Mt 25:41-46; II Thes 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7, Mk 9:43-48; Rev 20:11-15

 

XVII.  MARRIAGE & SEXUALITY

A.  We believe that God has ordained marriage to be a bond between one man and one woman until death breaks that bond.  God loves and values both the man and the woman equally; although He has given to each differing roles to fulfill.  Gen  1:26-28; 2:23-25;  Mal 2:14-17;  Mt 5:31-32; 19:3-12;  Rom 7:1-3;

B.  We believe that the qualifications for men who hold the offices of Pastor or Deacon include only those men who are the “husband of one wife,” meaning that they have never been divorced.  1 Tim. 3:2, 12;  Titus 1:6

C.  We believe that homosexuality and other forms of sexual sin are forbidden in the Scriptures and should not be a part of the life of a Believer who is seeking to walk in obedience to God.  Gen 2:24; 19:5-13;  Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; 1 Cor 5:1;  6:9; 1 Thes 4:1-8; Heb 13:4

Our Beliefs

1301 S 14th St

Pekin, IL  61554

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